Gospel of the Horns - The Satanist's Dream (Demo 1994)

The Satanist's Dream is the very first release by Aussie black/thrashers Gospel of the Horns. guess the original label that put this band out completely stabbed the band in the back by releasing a a shoddy product, completely with a picture of an entirely different band on the label. I'm not sure if the band even received any money for it, as the band has asked fans not to buy that particular edition of the demo. Fortunately for metalheads, Kneel Before the Master's Throne records gave it the "diehard" vinyl treatment in 2009. I believe they're sold out of the release, but you might be able to snag it in a trade or get it on ebay or some shit if you /really/ want it.

But moving on! This demo is some great Celtic Frost/Hellhammer worship. It sounds great for a demo, and while it doesn't give you that much of an idea of the band's sound to come, it's nonetheless a ton of fun to listen to. Even though it's a very "simple" sounding album in terms of composition, it's well-played and apparent that the musicians are all proficient at their various instruments. This demo showcases the black metal side of the band more than later releases, and comes highly recommended from myself. A great demo from a great band. Enjoy!

ARTIST: GOSPEL OF THE HORNS

ALBUM: THE SATANIST'S DREAM (DEMO 1994)

GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL

SATAN

Grenade - The Howling Damned

Grenade were a black/thrash metal band from Sydney, NSW, Australia. They never got as far as a lot other bands in the Australian scene, but they're still well regarded among those who remember them. Probably the most forgettable part of their material is the vocals to be honest -- they're not bad, but they tend to fade into the guitars (which, luckily for them, are really good!) If you enjoy black/thrash metal, you'll definitely like this album. However, if you're not already, this probably won't be the album to make or break the bank. It certainly SOUNDS like Aussie black/thrash, and I wouldn't go as far to say that Grenade are mediocre -- just don't expect anything particularly groundbreaking here.

The Howling Damned is not actually a full-length, but a compilation of all their previous material. Some of the members have gone on to perform in the black/thrash project Innsmouth, whom I'm sure I will post about here soon, because they're also fantastic!

ARTIST: GRENADE

ALBUM: THE HOWLING DAMNED

GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL

MEDIAFIRE

Gospel of the Horns - Realm of the Damned

Gospel of the Horns are one of the best black/thrash bands, ever. Hailing from Australia, they've been putting out amazing metal since the release of their 1994 demo, The Satanist's Dream. They produced two full-length albums before disbanding around 2008-2009 (though they've recently gotten back together): A Call to Arms and Realm of the Damned. They're both magnificient albums, but I've always found RotD to be the stronger album.

Everything about it just works. The production, the riffs, the musicianship....it's just a great metal album, and probably one of the strongest albums to come out the Australian metal scene -- which is saying A LOT, when you factor how strong the black/thrash/death scene is down there. If you're a fan of any of the Australian metal bands -- Destroyer 666, Sadistik Exekution, Vomitor etc. and you haven't heard this album yet, GET ON THAT SHIT!!!

Gospel of the Horns were defunct for a while, but they've recently reunited to play gigs and release some new music -- their new EP, Ceremonial Conjuration, came out in June on Invictus Productions.

ARTIST: GOSPEL OF THE HORNS

ALBUM: REALM OF THE DAMNED

GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL

MEDIAFIRE

Rupture - Corrupture

Rupture were an Australian grindcore band active from the late 1980s until the death of their vocalist in 2001. They did releases with awesome bands like Dropdead and Antiseen, in addition to putting out some wicked grindcore. Corrupture sounds a lot like early American hardcore -- only faster and even more pissed off! Basically if you're a fan of stuff like early D.R.I., you'll really be into this. I wish I knew more about the band but I'm only just getting into them myself, so I don't have too much to say. I really liked this album and I'll be looking forward to checking out the rest of their discography!

ARTIST: RUPTURE

ALBUM: CORRUPTURE

GENRE: GRINDCORE

MEDIAFIRE